PETAL PUSHERS

Next to food and beverage, it is the biggest line item in many a wedding budget. For corporate events, it can soften the scene and bring in brand colors beautifully. Most event clients — no matter what their event goals or guest group — can't imagine centerpieces without it. It's floral, and no matter how you cut it, it's an essential part of event design. Here, we offer a glimpse at some of the most valuable accessories in the flourishing world of event floral.

RISE AND DESIGN

Dawsonville, Ga.-based American Floral Container counts its patented party riser as one of the hottest items in its inventory. Marketing director Pat Grayson attributes the product's popularity to its designer-friendly, shipping-ready, cost-conscious construction.

“Our party risers are unique because the bottoms of the end pieces are finished, unlike the acrylic bottoms of other risers,” Grayson notes. That means seated guests will see only beautiful floral rather than the internal fittings that are visible in some clear acrylic risers, she explains.

In addition, American Floral Container's riser, available in a 24-inch and a 36-inch-tall model, does not require gluing and can be delivered flat — with no risk of teetering — before the event. The planner or floral designer “merely inserts the pole at the party,” Grayson says. “There is a snug fit, and when the event is over, the modular units can be taken apart and stored easily until the next function.”

As for versatility, designers who opt not to place flowers at the base of a centerpiece or station decoration simply can flip over the bottom piece and, presto, “Behold a party riser with a beautifully finished base,” Grayson says. Other designers might flip the top over and use it to create a fishbowl or other unique vessel. Meanwhile, she adds, some designers forgo the top piece altogether and “place a plug in the pole, with long strands of greenery hanging from it.”

And in the event that an appreciative guest makes off with a floral arrangement that happens to have one of the riser's end pieces still attached? “Those pieces, as well as poles, can be ordered separately for the next function,” Grayson says.

TROPICAL BREEZE

An enticing complement to any event landscape, the Canvas Nursery's artificial foliage and flowers allow designers to arrange with abandon in even the most inhospitable environments. And the products do so without any plastic whatever.

He notes that the Princess Palm is particularly well suited for “quick tropical decor.” With its weighted base, single-carton shipping and speedy assembly, the faux tree is the “easiest and quickest ‘knockdown’ palm on the market,” he asserts.

Next up for the Canvas Nursery? “Customers will be able to custom order certain styles from our catalog using fabrics they specify,” Lawton adds. “Imagine a palm tree that matches the red and white picnic linen or one that uses a wedding planner's favorite lace!”

HEAD OF THE GLASS

“Quality glass and ceramic vases and containers at the leading edge of today's trends” are what's in stock at Roswell, Ga.-based Accent Decor, according to marketing manager Margaret Hofland. Two of the company's newest lines are taking that stock in a distinctly upscale direction.

The company's recently unveiled Moonbeam Collection is made up of four different glass pieces, each “elegantly shaped with a fluted neck and a wide base, and exquisitely finished with iridescent stripes,” Hofland says. She notes that the line's “understated glamour” makes it particularly attractive to floral designers who want to add opulence to tabletop arrangements without overshadowing the floral itself. Also appealing is the versatility offered by multiple pieces, which can be grouped to create a conversation-worthy centerpiece or accompanied by the line's coordinating tea light holders.

The Esther vase, another recent Accent Decor debut, “is one of our most dramatically beautiful pieces to date,” Hofland says. She notes that the vase's “oversized yet elegant silhouette makes a statement,” while its “antiqued mercury-glass finish brings it glamour and a trendy sophistication.” Used to hold either a single, showy stem or a bold bunch of blooms, the Esther “is definitely beautiful enough to stand alone,” Hofland says.